Rotary engine.



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WITNESSES:

IN VEN TOR PATE NTED SEPT. 17, 1907. Y J. H. GOLLDEWEIH.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED M.AR.12, 1901.

JOHN H. COLLDEWEIH, OF

LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed March 12,1907. Serial No. 362,023.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GoLLDnwEIH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Livermore, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary engines, and particularly to that class in which a centrally mounted drum is revoluble concentrically within an outer casing, and at such distance therefrom as to form an annular passage between the two; said drum having radially disposed plates or pistons extending across the annular channel, and means by which a propelling fluid may be admitted into said channel and against the pistons, to cause a revolution of the inner drum.

It consists in a combination of parts, and in details of construction which will be more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a section transverse to the axis. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section in the plane of the axis. Fig. Fl is, a detail of the inlet and outlet position of the valvcs. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and edge views respectively of the joint-forming packing plates.

The drum A is mounted upon a shaft 2 which extends through the heads of an exterior casing 3, which casing is concentric with the drum, and at such a distance therefrom as to form an annular channel between the drum and the casing. This drum carries pistons 4:, which pistons are in the form of plates, having the outer edges packed, as will be hereafter described, so as to make tight joints with the inner periphery, and the ends of the case. These pistons 4 have formed with or attached to them the wedge-shaped blocks 5, these blocks having a length substantially equal to the dis tance between the ends of the piston plates.

The drum A has dove-tailed or wedge-shaped slots cut lengthwise in its periphery, there being as many of these slots as there are pistons to be used in the apparatus.

In the present case I have shown two pistons upon opposite sides of the drum, and they are removably secured to the drum by fitting the wedge-shaped blocks 5 into the correspondingly shaped channels in the drum; thus the drum may be conveniently finished, and the pistons afterwards introduced and attached thereto, and they may be removed at any time, either with or without the drum, by removing one of the heads of the casing 3, which will expose the whole interior of the casing and the drum and pistons from that end.

That part of the block 5 which projects beyond the drum is concaved upon each side of the piston 4, as shown at 6, and the edges of the concavity at opposite sides of the projecting portions of the block form contacts and joints with a revoluble abutment 7, which is carried by a shaft at 8, and which is revolved in unison with the revolution of the drum A by means of intermeshing gears 9; these gears being of such proportionate size that the abutment will be revolved in the present case, twice to one revolution of the drum.

The abutment has formed in one side a segmental channel 10 of such diameter that when the piston 4 approaches the abutment, the segmental channel will be presented so that the piston 4 will enter the segmental channel 10, and the edges of the block 5 will substantially lit within the segmental channel and fill it from side to side.

As the drum A and the abutment 7 continue their revolution, the piston 4- will sweep around the inside of the segmental channel, and the edges of the wedgeshaped block 5 will also move withinthe outer opening of the channel until the abutment 7 has revolved far enough to carry the channel beyond the edge of the piston 4 which will then continue its movement with in the annular space between the abutment and the interior of the casing; the depth of the segmental channel being such that the bottom of this channel is in the line of curvature of the interior of the casing 3.

When the abutment has thus turned so far that the piston has passed beyond the channel, the edge of the piston will, as before stated, fit snugly within the interior of the casing, and will then be carried around within the annular channel by the pressure of the fluid which is admitted through a port 11 or 11"; one of these ports serving for the admission of the fluid, and theother for the exhaust of the fluid from the opposite side of the abutment after it has performed its service.

One of the edges of the wedge-shaped piece 5 which have entered the segmental groove 10 of the abutment in unison with the entrance of the piston, will follow around the interior curvature of this channel, as tho abutment revolves, and as the piston passes from one side to the other of the abutment, and these edges thus maintain a tight joint between the abutment and the drum A until the abutment has revolved so far that its circular periphery is in close contact with the periphery of the drum; when the two sides of the annular channel in which the piston travels will be separated by the abutment, and the fluid acting upon the piston, which has now passed the admission port 11, the piston will be forced around within the annular channel and the drum and any attachment to the drum shaft will be thus revolved. In this case where two pistons are employed, it will be seen that each piston will be propelled a half revolution, or until the other piston has entered the abutment, and each piston as it moves from the point opposite the abutment to its point of engagement, will act to force the fluid which propelled the previous piston and discharge it out through the port ll These ports 11-11 connect with three-way valves 12 42, and the ports of these valves may be so disposed with relation to admission and exhaust passages 13 and 14:, that when one of the valves is opened to admit fluid through its ports 15, it will be so disposed as to close the exhaust port 16 of that valve, and open the exhaust port 16 of the other valve, while closing the inlet port 15 of this valve.

Any suitable connection may be made whereby the valves will be turned simultaneously, and by this movement it will be seen that the revolution of the engine will be reversed at will.

In order to make tight joints between the pistons 4 of the drum A, I have shown plates 1.7 fitted in the edges of the pistons, and similar plates 18 in the edges of the pistons which contact with the interior of the casing 33.

Circular plates 18 lit in channels in the opposite ends of the drum A, and they are forced outwardly against the interior of the casing by springs 19 located at suitable intervals around the periphery and interior to the packing-rings 18.

The packing for the edges of the pistons 4 consists of packing-plates 20 which fit in channels in the edges of the pistons, and are forced outwardly by springs 21 located interior to the packing-plates. These plates 20 are cut away in the central portion and overlap each other as shown at 22, Fig. 5, so that they are allowed to slide longitudinally within the channels of the piston. The ends of these plates 20 are bent down wardly at right angles as shown at 20, and these end portions lit in grooves or channels in the ends of the piston, and they also pass through slots made in the packing-rings 18. V

The lower or inner ends of the parts 20* have inwardly projecting pins 20 which extend into the inner portion of the piston ends, thus forming a complete packin g upon the edge and ends which are the wearing portions of the piston, and the overlapping and independent slidability of the packing-plates 20 allow an automatic adjustment for any wear which takes place between the parts 20 and the inner ends of the casing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I. A rotary engine consisting of a revoluble drum, an exterior concentric casing forming with the drum an annular intervening channel, longitudinal interlocking slots made in the periphery of the drum, correspondingly shaped blocks remevably fitting said slots, and having piston blades projecting radially therefrom to fit the in icrior of the casing, slidable overlapping plates fitting channels in the edges of the pistons, and having inwardly turned radial extensions fitting continuations of the chan nels in the ends of the pistons, a cylindrical revolnble abutment having a semicircular channel extending longitudinally in its periphery, said abutment being connected and revolublc in unison with the piston-carrying drum so that the pistons register with and enter the segmental channel, and projections of the locking block fitting and forming a joint with the edges of said channel.

2. In a rotary engine, a centrally journaled revoluble drum, a concentric exterior casing with intermediate annular channel, wedge-shaped blocks carrying radial extending pistons, said blocks fitting correspondingly shaped channels in the periphery of the drum and extending out- .side of said periphery, overlapping slidable and springpressed plates fitting the edges of the pistons and having inwardy extending members fitting channels in the ends of the pistons, and means for forcing said plates outwardly to form tight joints, a cylindrical revoluble abutment having a segmental channel extending lengthwise of its periphery, and of a depth to receive the edges of the pistons, the edges of said channel also iitting and turnable upon the projecting edges 01' the piston-carrying block to form a movable joint while'the pistons are passing through the abutment.

In a rotary engine, a centrally journaled piston-carrying drum, an exterior easing concentric therewith and an annular intermediate channel \vithin'which the pistons are movable, wedge-shaped blocks interlocking with correspondingly shaped channels on the periphery of the drum, pistons carried by said blocks, a rcvoluble abutment having a segmental channel, means whereby said channel is made to register with each piston and block as they pass, overlapping slidable and spring-pressed plates fitting the edges of the pistons and having inwardly extending plates fitting channels in the ends of the pistons, interior springs by which said plates are forced outwardly to form tight joints and pins extending inwardly from the inner ends of the extensions.

4. In a rotary engine characterized by a central drum, an extcrior casing with an annular intervening channel and radial pistons carried by the drum, spring-pressed packing plates fitting channels in the edges of the pistons said plates overlapping and sliding longitudinally with relation to each other, said plates having rightz'lngled extensions fitting the end channels of the pistons.

5. In a rotary engine characterized by a central drum, an exterior casing with an annular intervening channel, and radial pistons carried by the drum, springpressed packing-plates overlapping and slidable in the edges of the pistons, said plates having right-angled extensions fitting the end channels of the pistons, spring-pressed packing rings fitting channels in the ends of the drums, said rings being radially slotted to allow the end portions of the pis ton plates to pass through the slots.

6. In a rotary engine of the character described, a drum revoluble within a concentric casing, and having springpressed packing rings forming joints between the ends of the drum and the casing, slidable overlapping plates fitting channels in the edges of the pistons, and having inwardly turned radial extensions litting continnations of the channels in the ends of the pistons, said extensions passing through slots in the drum packing-rings, and co-acting with said rings to form tight joints with the interior of the casing In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN II. COLLDEWEII'I.

Witnesses FRED L. Slmmms'rnn, DANIEL A. SAIITI'I. 

